MB Herald | Aug/Sept 2025

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2025 MBHER ALD.COM

Digest

VOLUME 64 , NO. 04

R E C O N C I L I AT I O N A N D R A D I C A L D I S C I P L E S H I P P C O 2 0 2 5 : W E L C O M E T O T H E FA M I LY !

P R AY I N G I N T O G O D ’ S M Y S T E R I O U S P L A N

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Mennonite Brethren Herald Digest is digitally published bimonthly by the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, primarily for the use of its members, to build a Canadian MB community of faith. We seek to 1) share the life and story of the church by nurturing relationships among members and engaging in dialogue and reflection; 2) teach and equip for ministry by reflecting MB theology, values, and heritage, and by sharing the good news; 3) enable communication by serving conference ministries and informing our members about the church and the world. However, the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the church as a whole.

A plaque at the Limmat River in Zurich, Switzerland, where Felix Manz, one of the early Anabaptists, was drowned for his convictions.

Full story on page 10.

Digest AUG | SEPT 2025 | VOLUME 64 , NO. 04 EDITORIAL OFFICE 1310 Taylor Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 3Z6 Phone: 204-669-6575 Toll-free in Canada: 888-669-6575 MBHERALD@MBCHURCHES.CA W W W. M B H ER ALD.CO M

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PCO 2025: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! MB Herald Staff

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RECONCILIATION AND RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP Cam Stuart

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PRAYING INTO GOD’S MYSTERIOUS PLAN Denver Wilson

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PRAY FIRST! PRAY ALWAYS! Sarah Patterson; Norm Nickel

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THE LESSONS OF SUNFLOWERS Philip A. Gunther

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REDEFINING SUCCESS Matthew R.S. Todd

ISSN: 0025-9349 The Mennonite Brethren Herald is a publication of

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Sharing the life and story of Mennonite Brethren in Canada

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From the editor

S TA R T C H I L D R E N O F F O N T H E WAY T H E Y SHOULD GO, AND EVEN WHEN THEY ARE OLD T H E Y W I L L N OT T U R N F R O M I T. PROVERBS 22:6

am being dramatic, but this has been the summer of my discontent. OK, well, it’s been a tough one at least. I do poorly with life changes. Those major milestones that most parents mark with joy are bittersweet for me. In June, our youngest graduated from high school, and in a couple of weeks, her mother and I will drive her from her home in Manitoba to Ontario to begin university.

I am not handling that well.

My chief concern will always be for her well-being. I want her to be safe and protected while away from home. Then there are the intangible, hard-to-explain thoughts and anxieties I hold over things like: will she be home sick? Will her mother and I devolve into a combined puddle of tears as soon as we turn the car around towards home? Part of my makeup is that I worry about things that haven’t happened yet — and may never happen — at all.

Another worry I have is whether she will find a faith community while away from home. As much as I’d like to, I can not cause this to happen; I can only pray.

There are many nuggets of wisdom for parents in Matthew R.S. Todd’s article on parenting young adults, but to me, four words stand out: “Sovereign hand of God.” I will have to trust that God is in control. Whatever circumstance we face, we must ultimately surrender our struggle to the Lord. Whenever I

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project a negative future for myself, which is pretty much a daily occurrence, I try to remember Ecclesiastes 7:14: “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”

Over the past few weeks, as a family, we have been visiting some of our favourite places together. In my pessimism, I have been calling it her farewell tour. But it’s not a farewell tour, it’s the prompting of the Spirit telling us that we can have joy in the present. And it is always the present, so let’s seek joy in the Lord as we go about life. The sovereign hand of God holds each of us gently in all seasons.

This weekend, I did something small that brought me joy: I moved the bird feeders from the backyard to the front yard so I can see them better. This simple act gives me hope for the fall and winter because, as I sit by my window and watch the sparrows, I will remember that God is watching over my little sparrow.

Be well, my friends,

Carson

CARSON SAMSON

Editor

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P O R TA B L E G A S S T O V E S M A K E C O O K I N G S A F E R FOR DISPL ACED GA ZANS AN ARTICLE FROM MCC

Mohamed* and his wife have been living in a tent for over a year, ever since the Israeli military destroyed their house in Gaza. Cooking over a fire has been their only option while they have been displaced.

After their son was born, they were forced to heat up bottles for him over the fire, including in the middle of the night.

Because of a distribution from Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) local partner in Gaza, they now have a portable gas stove they can use instead.

The gas stove is safer to use than an open fire, Mohamed says, because

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the fire attracts unwanted attention from the military. “A lot of people were targeted because they lit a fire at night,” he says.

They are among 700 recipients of portable gas stoves that Al-Najd Developmental Forum (Al-Najd) distributed in April. Al-Najd purchased the stoves in Gaza with funds from MCC. Most Palestinians in Gaza had gas stoves in their houses before this war but have been forced to use open fires for cooking and heat while they are displaced. Gas stoves are expensive, and people have few job options due to the ongoing

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Israeli blockade and bombardment of Gaza.

Hajja*, another recipient with multiple children, says she is grateful for the gas stove she received because the smoke she inhaled while cooking over an open fire has made her sick. Her breathing problems cause her to cough until she is dizzy and spits up blood.

Because of Israel’s tight restrictions on bringing humanitarian relief into Gaza, Al-Najd must purchase from supplies that are available locally, even though prices are inflated and inventory is limited.

They are currently working on a distribution of children’s clothing that was purchased within Gaza.

When Israel loosens its restrictions, MCC is prepared to bring 4,000 family-size packages of food stored in Jordan into Gaza for Al-Najd to distribute.

“The organization, God bless them,” Mohamed says. “They made things easier for us by supplying the gas cylinder (stove). Hopefully things will move forward and get better.

May God bless you all for the efforts you made.”

MCC invites you to donate to its ongoing humanitarian response in Gaza and to urge legislators in Canada to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. To contact legislators in Canada, visit mcc.org/campaign/ canadas-toolkit-peace-gaza. *(Full names are not used for security reasons.)

MB

.com

In case you missed it

We regularly publish website-exclusive stories on mbherald.com. Here are a few articles we’ve posted online in the last few months.

Emergency food distribution helped southern Africa farmers survive drought After a year-long drought in 2024, four MCC partners distributed food to about 3,500 families in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The MB Herald Podcast is all about telling stories that build up our MB church family. We invite guests on the show to highlight various ministries and initiatives, as well as talk about some of the pressing issues we face in our churches and communities.

You can listen to previouslyreleased episodes on Spotify or Apple. Watch for new episodes, airing in Summer 2025!

Update from Simonhouse Bible Camp Darrell Janzen, Executive Director at Simonhouse Bible Camp, gives an update after the wildfire evacuation order was lifted on June 16.

YAMEN helped Glory Sunday become the mentor she always wanted to be Glory Michael Sunday, a young woman from Nigeria who serves with Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network in 2024-2025, talks about what she has learned through her experience of teaching in a Ugandan refugee camp.

From celebration to commemoration An update from Mennonite World Conference (MWC), focused on its recent triennial General Council (GC) meeting May 26-28, 2025 in Schwäbisch-Gmünd, Germany.

Does your city have a missionary on every street?

Help equip more disciples to live on God’s mission. multiply.net/canadamtt

together that the world may know Jesus MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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B Y M AT T H E W R . S . T O D D

while ago I attended a Father’s Day service at a large church in my city. Four fathers were interviewed on stage. The pastor introduced them by saying, “Here are four successful Christian parents of young adults who serve the Lord.”

The dads on stage then shared their parenting philosophies and experiences, and what their young adults were studying in university or college, or where they were working.

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S O M E O F U S G OT I N TO PA R EN T I N G W I T H CAREFUL PL ANNING , AND OTHERS OF US D I D N ’ T. A N D Y E T T H E S OV E R E I G N H A N D O F G O D I S P R E S E N T I N B O T H S I T U AT I O N S

As I listened, a statistic I had recently learned came to mind: 60-66 percent of youth leave the church in high school or afterwards.1 As I looked around at the parents sitting in the pews around me, I was aware that likely over half of them may be feeling inadequate, guilty, and defeated upon hearing these four fathers speak. Unintentionally, the presentation had supplied an incomplete definition of a “successful Christian parent” and misrepresented the long-range outcomes of godly parenting. I found it to be an opportunity lost; rather than instructing parents on their biblical mandate, equipping them to deal with the risks and probable outcomes of parenting, it seemed to present a magic formula for “success” in parenting.

Is passing on the faith the biblical definition of a successful parent? If so, what does that say to the 60-66 percent of parents whose children have walked away from Christian faith? Can God never say to such parents, “Well done, you good and faithful parent”? Can parents be blamed for the rebellion and sin of a youth or young adult?

1 Lifeway Research, “Most teenagers drop out of church when they become young adults” (Jan. 15, 2019). Drew Dyck, Generation

I want to introduce a better definition of what it means to be a faithful parent: to be intentional in consistently influencing your kids to follow God. Yes, parental influence is real, but good, godly parenting is not a guaranteed loyalty program. The outcome is based on the free will of the young adult.

FA M I L I E S I N T H E B I B L E

We can find examples in Scripture of godly parents who had godly children (1 Samuel 1-2, Acts 13:36). There are also portrayals of godly parents who attempted to pass on the faith but in the end had ungodly children (Genesis 9:18-27, 1 Samuel 8:1-9, 2 Kings 21:1-18). We read examples of inconsistent and neglectful parenting (Genesis 25:27-28, 2 Samuel 13), as well as sinful parents whose children, by the grace of God, learned from what happened to their parents and became godly children (Numbers 14:31-35).

The point of this biblical review is this: parents do have firm direction from Scripture to direct their children in the ways of the Lord, and God tells them to do this, regardless of what the outcome will be. But we should be cautious in passing judgments on parents on the basis of whether a young person stays or leaves the faith. God won’t assess your parenting based on the outcome and the choices of your children, but he will assess whether you tried to consistently and faithfully influence your children to follow God.

T H E B I B L I C A L M A N D AT E

When my wife and I married, our maxim was: “Fear God and work hard.” We weren’t thinking about children yet, but when they did come, the “work hard” part really kicked in. Then it was time for us to ask ourselves: “Why did God give us this family?” Part of the answer is the opportunity and responsibility to participate in God’s redemptive and missional plan of salvation. It was our turn to relay the gospel to our children and grandchildren.

Ex-Christian: Why young adults are leaving the faith and how to bring

Y E S , PA R E N TA L I N F L U E N C E I S R E A L ,

them back (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010), 17. James Penner,

B U T G O O D , G O D LY PA R E N T I N G I S N O T

Rachel Harder, Erika Anderson, Bruno Dosorcy, and Rick Hiemstra,

A G U A R A N T E E D L OYA LT Y P R O G R A M .

Hemorrhaging Faith: https://faithformationlearningexchange.net/ uploads/5/2/4/6/5246709/hemorrhaging-faith-april-4-2013.pdf.

Chuck Stecker, “A Great Place to Raise kids, but a terrible place to raise adults,” in Men of Honor Women of Virtue: The power of rites of passage into Godly Adulthood (Denver, Colorado, Seismic publishing group, third printing 2015). The author comments that on average churches “lose approximately 70 to 80 percent of…young people who were in the church when they started kindergarten by the time they get to high school graduation. In addition, we will lose in excess of 90 percent of churchgoing high school graduates within five years of their graduation” (87).

Some of us got into parenting with careful planning, and others of us didn’t. And yet the sovereign hand of God is present in both situations: “Children are a heritage from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Scripture conveys God’s intention for the faith community and the family. God has the generations in view, that one generation would share about God’s faithfulness to the next (Genesis 12:3; Exodus 10:2; 13:8,14; Deuteronomy 4:8-9; Psalm 78:1-4; 17:4,7; Galatians 3:8). The Bible advocates for a multigenerational transmission of the

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faith (through parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles), and we are seeing this backed up in research. 2 Psalm 145:4 tells us: “One generation commends your works to another.” Training is parents’ first obligation in raising children, and this includes spiritual formation.

OUR EXPERIENCE

When my first child was born, I thought I had a good handle on my job description as a new parent. I had psychology and theology undergraduate degrees and experience as a youth pastor. I had seen a wide range of issues with Christian youth and different parenting styles, and I thought those experiences gave me an advantage. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was in for a truckload of adjustment, new learning, and recalibration. As my parenting experiences unfolded, I found that there is what you know, but also what you know you don’t know — and what you don’t know about what you don’t know! I had inherited ideas on parenting that I would default to, but would need to be deconstructed and adjusted in order to align with biblical values and interdisciplinary insights. I came to realize that I am not a super parent; rather, I am broken and a sinner saved by grace, and that I have stumbled to parent correctly. I have had joys and challenges in every stage of my children’s growth. Some of my experiences with my children have been precious, especially when they were younger. And then the teen years hit, and the emerging young adult stage.

T R A I N I N G I S PA R EN T S ’ FI R S T O B L I G AT I O N I N R A I S I N G C H I L D R E N , A N D T H I S I N C L U D E S S P I R I T U A L F O R M AT I O N .

If you had asked me 20 years ago about how I would pass on the faith to my children, I would have told you about all the activities and programs I would be bringing them to. We were intentional in having our children regularly be a part of the church, with ministries relevant to them such as children’s church, Sunday school, youth groups, youth camps, and being a part of our family groups. We worked hard to get our hands on resources that could nurture the spiritual growth of our children in our home. I really thought that if I just brought my kids to church and to children’s and youth ministries, supplemented by camps and retreats, they would pick up the faith contagiously like a common cold.

2 Bengtson, Vern L., Casey E. Copen, Norella M. Putney and Merril Silverstein, “A Longitudinal Study of Intergenerational Transmission of Religion,” International Sociology, Vol. 24 (3) (May 2009): 328.

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Part of my problem from the start was that I was bequeathed a deterministic behaviourist approach to parenting. The idea was that raising Christian children was like baking a cake — just do A, B, and C, and out would come the finished cake. Somehow, I felt I could determine the spiritual outcome of my children despite their free will. Shockingly, I began to discover that parenting can feel more like walking through a labyrinth, as I discovered that each of my children had dispositional differences. I needed to revise my thinking on parenting because some of my ideas were shallow, unbiblical, and ineffective.

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH

Parents could greatly benefit from reviewing the teaching and ideas that they have inherited and embraced from their family and church. Do those teachings reflect a deterministic or a free will perspective on a child’s spiritual trajectory and outcome? Some parents experience heartbreak and anxiety when they discover that raising their children in the church did not guarantee the desired outcome of handing on the faith. The history of some churches has been marred by badly interpreted biblical proof texts such as Proverbs 22:6 (“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it”) and Acts 16:31 (“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household”). These texts are not a guarantee, but merely a reminder that the influence of parents can produce lasting good.

Proverbs 22:6 refers to helping to shape children’s will and cultivating an appetite for right. It is about adapting our training to a child’s disposition — inclinations, interests, bents, and gifts. It refers to helping children in the process of discovering how God made them, something Psalm 139:13-18 refers to as well. Parents can study, talk about, and listen to what is of interest to their children, observe what they are good at, and help them develop their gifts. These things are God-given. Parents also need to address, correct, and confront sinful bents in their children. But the bottom line is to look for ways that God is already at work in their children’s lives and help them understand and cultivate their giftings and inclinations as they make life choices.

It is encouraging to picture our lives as trees which will benefit our children’s and grandchildren’s lives.

But this is no guarantee of the outcome. And rather than blaming parents when things go wrong, churches should support them in their difficult task, instructing them on the biblical mandate of parenting, equipping them to deal with the risks and probable outcomes.

I remember pastoring in a church where one very wealthy and successful couple struggled with a son

who had mental health issues and was frequently hospitalized. I admired various parents in the church who were supportive of this couple. There have been times in my own life when I have been fighting the battle for other parents’ children at the church but losing the battle at home with my own child. Some of you reading this have been there. I have always treasured times when friends would take time to listen to an area of parenting that I was struggling with, offer some supportive words, or tell me they would include the concern in their prayers.

B U T T H E B O T TO M L I N E I S TO L O O K F O R WAY S T H AT G O D I S A L R E A DY AT W O R K I N T H E I R C H I L D R E N ’ S L I V E S A N D H E L P T H E M U N D E R S TA N D A N D C U LT I VAT E T H E I R G I F T I N G S A N D I N C L I N AT I O N S A S T H E Y M A K E L I F E C H O I C E S .

It’s vital for parents to move past the guilt, shame, and comparison and find encouragement. Your role as a parent might be shifting, but you can still be a faithful influence to your children and continue to live in hope and trust God. Luke 1:50 reminds parents, “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” Find comfort in knowing that to every parent who has been faithful and intentional in influencing their children towards Christ, our heavenly Father says, “Well done, you good and faithful parent.”

This article is based on research outlined in Matthew R. S. Todd’s new book, Silent Exodus — Parents’ Silent Suffering (Wipf & Stock, May 2025).

M AT T H E W T O D D

worships with his family at Tricity (MB) Church and is a former pastor of Port Moody Pacific Grace MB Church. The book cites survey work completed with the Chinese MB churches and helps to address generational assimilation and dechurching.

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RECONCILIATION AND RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP

BY CAM STUART

I recently had the privilege to travel to Germany and Switzerland to take in the very large landscape of our Anabaptist, Mennonite, and Mennonite Brethren history. As the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren (CCMBC), we are part of a much larger family and a 500-year-old history. I would venture to say that most of the 49,000 people who on average gather in our churches every week have very little awareness of our global family or of our history.

MENNONITE WORLD CONFERENCE MEETINGS (S C H WÄ B I S C H G M Ü N D, G E R M A N Y )

My time in Europe representing CCMBC began in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany where the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) convened. MWC is the international body of Anabaptist denominations. It represents 1.5 million worshippers from 61 countries and 110 member groups. MWC is called to be a communion (Koinonia) of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness. Its taglines are: Following Jesus, Living out Unity, and Building Peace. We gathered for four days to worship, pray, build relationships, and make decisions together on issues that promote peace, unity, and justice around the world. I was very inspired, humbled, and grateful to have listened to the stories of our brothers and sisters from around the world.

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5 0 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y O F A N A B A P T I S M ( Z U R I C H , SWITZERL AND)

Thousands of people descended on Zurich on May 29 to celebrate the 500th year of our Anabaptist history. MWC did a great job organizing the worship service and walking tours to historic city sites. This day was very moving, as I was able to visit the home where the first young Anabaptists baptized each other, stand at the site where Felix Manz was drowned for his convictions in the Limmat River and to attend the 500th Anniversary celebration service at Grossmünster Church.

The most poignant experience was to witness the reconciliation dimensions of this service between the Anabaptists and the Catholic church, Lutheran World Federation, and World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). A joint statement was created.

Several statements stand out. The Reformed leader stated, “As Reformed Christians, we acknowledge that we have often overlooked the memory of the persecution of the Anabaptists. We confess that this persecution was, according to our present conviction, a betrayal of the Gospel.” And the Anabaptist representative stated, “As Anabaptist Christians, we acknowledge that we have often overlooked the deep theological roots we share with the Reformed tradition. We confess that too often our convictions, ideals, and memory of martyrdom have fostered self-righteousness and a reluctance to see the face of Christ in our Reformed sisters and brothers.”

While this joint prepared statement was read, the leader of the WCRC (Setri Nyromi) and the leader of MWC (Cesar Garcia) washed one another’s feet as a sign of love, unity, and reconciliation. This was a powerful and historical moment!

I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E O F M E N N O N I T E BRETHREN (ICOMB) MEETINGS

After the 500th anniversary in Zurich, some of us then travelled to Bielefeld for ICOMB meetings. ICOMB is made of up of MB church groups from 24 different countries. There are at least five other national MB churches that will join us soon and another 30 that would like to join the Mennonite Brethren family! We meet for relationship, vision casting, equipping, and finding ways to support one another.

These were inspiring and humbling conversations as I listened to the stories of these leaders from the Ukraine, Laos, India, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica tell us of their challenges and gospel opportunities. What a blessing to be part of a much larger family and gospel story!

Through all of these events I have been reminded of our deep MB and Anabaptist roots that have always been missionally-focused with a strong value of the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. May this be true of us today as we participate in the ongoing Gospel, Anabaptist, and Mennonite Brethren story!

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

Our CCMBC theme for 2025 is Pray First! Pray Always! and we want to embrace that in our monthly prayer columns.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 is the foundation verse telling us to “pray continually.” For 2025 we want to deliberately and intentionally pray the Lord’s Prayer. We want to pray this prayer as part of devotional routines, as we commute, as we face both the pleasant and the challenging moments in our day, and as we lie in bed at the end of our day reflecting on all that we have experienced. Each month, we will focus on a phrase from the Lord’s Prayer so that we can more fully appreciate the depth and beauty of this prayer. Praying the Lord’s Prayer daily and thoughtfully is not a “vain repetition” (Matt 6:7 KJV), but an act of worship with the power to slowly transform disciples of Jesus (and the churches made up of these disciples) ever closer into the character and Kingdom mission of Jesus. It is also part of participating in God’s work of salvation in the world as God’s Kingdom comes to earth as it is in heaven. We are excited this year to welcome a variety of writers from our MB family across Canada as they share their own insights and guide us to pray more faithfully. May 2025 be a year of transformation and may the Lord’s Prayer be part of our commitment to Pray First! Pray Always!

A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 P R AY F I R S T ! P R AY A LWAY S !

The Lord’s Prayer (Part 7) Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

(Note: the ending in italics is only found in later manuscripts.

It is included in the KJV but not in most modern translations.)

Our August 2025 prayer guide is highlighting the request to God: “Forgive us our debts.” To orient us to this line of the Lord’s Prayer, it is perhaps helpful to reiterate that the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray. We can assume, given the brevity of this prayer, that Jesus included only his non-negotiables for praying. Let’s remember then that asking for forgiveness is a non-negotiable in daily prayer.

“Forgive us our debts” was a prayer the sinless Son of God did not have to pray but he knew we did.

Given our rebellious hearts, we will consistently fail to align our actions, choices, and words with God’s will and ways. Sin, when not named and confessed, can gain a foothold within us so easily. Its insidious

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nature is such that sin piles up on sin, with us lying to ourselves (another sin) that we have everything under control. Thankfully, while we remain sinners here on earth we don’t have to be enslaved to sin.

Jesus knew his audience well. First century Jews would equate unpaid debts with actual slavery, or imprisonment, due to the Roman practice of debt bondage. A monetary debt could lead to a loss of freedom — and so can our sins, especially if we are hiding them, compounding them, and allowing them to ruin our relationship with God and others.

Jesus doesn’t make an explicit connection between the request for daily bread and the request for daily forgiveness, but one commentator, Kevin

It’s helpful for me to sit with the fact that Jesus is teaching his disciples that they need to ask for forgiveness after John, at Jesus’ baptism (John 1:29) tells the crowd, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus knew he would take away the world’s sin, yet his prayer includes these four words about forgiveness. His sacrifice would be once and for all, but forgiveness needs to be ongoing because we are sanctified sinners while still in this world. We know this doesn’t give us permission to intentionally sin but it’s an acknowledgment that we still will. Our formation into Christlikeness is ongoing, often interrupted by ourselves and others. Asking for forgiveness, in the context of this prayer, is pivotal in assuring our spiritual formation continues.

The Lord’s Prayer teaches us that we need to speak openly about sin and forgiveness. The request for forgiveness is plural which means that the Lord’s Prayer is teaching us something about how we should pray together and not ignore sin when we meet together. When was the last time sin was spoken about openly in your church? Head on, no holds barred? I hope it was recently. If we’re not being taught about sin and its nature at church, where else is this happening in your life? Does your church include confession and a prayer for forgiveness every Sunday? Our church gatherings should be the safest place for us to confess our sins to each other, yet for many believers, they would rather hide. Churches communicate who they are by what they say and do when they gather. If sin is not acknowledged, if the Lord’s Prayer is not prayed, if no space is made for confession, then is this a church for sinners or just the perceived perfect?

The author of Hebrews, in Hebrews 3:13, says, “You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” Does anyone at your church know you well enough to know when you are in danger of sinning? Does anyone know what your greatest temptations are? Is anyone present in your life, between Sundays, who would warn you that they see you being in danger of being deceived by sin? If not, maybe that’s why church can feel so unsafe since the speaking of these exact things would, ironically, make us all safe. None of us is free from sin. When we hide our sin from others, are we not close to actually denying Jesus’ power over it? When others have enough knowledge of us to warn us of spiritual danger, and vice versa, we gain a deeper sense of God’s care, Jesus’ sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Praying the words “Forgive us our debts” acknowledges our sin, makes us aware of God’s

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DeYoung, does: “We need daily bread that we might live and daily forgiveness that we might not die” (The Lord’s Prayer, 72). Essentially DeYoung is saying life is dependent on both physical food and spiritual forgiveness.

This forgiveness, when asked for, is freely given

by God, but our asking for it can be hindered by so much: a lack of understanding of true forgiveness, falsely thinking we still have to attain it, and a lack of forgiveness from others and from ourselves. It can also be hindered by our family of origin patterns.

Our families can shape how easily we ask for forgiveness and feel forgiven when we do. In some families, forgiveness is withheld or it becomes transactional.

In others it is given but ongoing resentment means you are reminded of your sin repeatedly.

It is a sad truth that for many it is in their family of origin where they first learn to hide their sins.

Hiding seems safer in the moment but has long-term effects. Over time people can transfer that lack of safety and forgiveness, even their parents’ anger, to God. Our ability to experience God as a loving Father can easily become distorted through the sin of others.

And sin itself can easily become distorted. The world’s relationship with truth, and therefore sin, leans very much towards anything goes. You know the world’s ease with sin, the casual offhandedness in which it is spoken about. “If it’s not hurting anyone and it feels right for you, then it’s fine” is a constant refrain of Satan. But sin always hurts God, others, and yourself — and your feelings are not able to define what’s right. Satan loves to downplay and disguise sin. We are dealing with spiritual warfare when we are dealing with our sin. Sin lives in the dark and Satan loves to keep us there. Confession and forgiveness bring it into the light where it shrivels up and dies. Sin can’t survive light and when it is exposed to it daily it can’t grow.

As mentioned above, naming and confessing our sins is important and, I would argue, if we are praying “Forgive us our debts” every day, perhaps as we eat our bread, we will find we have fewer and fewer debts needing to be forgiven. Might the daily asking of forgiveness not just humble us, not only making us aware of how often we are sinning, but also making us aware of our sin patterns? We all have sin patterns and they’ve likely been entrenched for some time. Gluttony, lust, sloth, pride, fear, anger, worry, dishonesty — when do these sins show up in your day? What is happening in your day, and in you, that shuts down your inner sin monitoring? Your awareness of the Holy Spirit’s movement within you?

Slowing down the recitation of this prayer, truly making it a prayer, giving each line time and space, could make this prayer truly transformational.

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power over it, and forces us to be aware of the insidiousness nature of sin. And might these four words be ones we share with others? Instead of daily sin compromising us as ambassadors of Christ, we can invite others into the ongoing process of becoming like Christ, allowing God’s forgiveness to bring us peace and patience with ourselves and others.

For the month of August, let us again pray the Lord’s Prayer daily…

CONSIDER:

sin spoken of openly and freely in your family ˚ Is or church? Why or why not? debts/sins, do you need to ask God to for˚ What give today?

might be your sin patterns? Which sins do ˚ What you consistently justify or find hardest to break?

S O N O W W E P R AY :

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, As we also forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

P R AY I N G T H E L O R D ’ S P R AY E R : PA R T 7 Our Father in heaven – forgive me my debts. May your Holy Spirit help me see my sins and confess them.

Our Father in heaven – forgive me my debts.

May I come to understand more and more how sin is present in my life and how it affects God, others, and me.

Our Father in heaven – forgive me my debts.

Thank you for providing, through your son Jesus, complete forgiveness of all my sins.

Our Father in heaven – forgive us our debts. As we live as forgiven people, may we gain confidence in speaking about all your Son has done for us.

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S A R A H PAT T E R S O N

is the Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Formation and the Doctor of Ministry Track Leader at Tyndale University.

She attends Scott Street Church in St. Catherines, Ontario.

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 P R AY F I R S T ! P R AY A LWAY S !

The Lord’s Prayer (Part 8) Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

(Note: the ending in italics is only found in later manuscripts.

It is included in the KJV but not in most modern translations.)

Our September 2025 prayer guide is highlighting the phrase Jesus spoke as a follow up to our asking for our own forgiveness: “as we also forgive our debtors.”

I’ve recently been reflecting on Jesus’ compassion. We see it all throughout the Gospels as he encounters people in their distress, their need, their searching… their lostness. The encounters that stand out to me are when he meets people who are rejected by society (Matt 8:1-4, Mark 5:25-34, John 8:1-11) and he responds with such radical compassion — in contradiction to the Law and all cultural practice — resulting in their healing. This is highlighted in astounding ways in the story of Jesus responding to Jairus’ request to come heal his daughter who has died. On the way, a bleeding woman reaches through the crowd to touch his robe in faith that she may be healed (Mark 5:21-43). In both encounters, Jesus’ compassion supersedes all “normal” responses — not rejecting the woman as unclean and denouncing her for touching him, and not rejecting Jairus as the synagogue leader, who likely would have been campaigning against him with the other religious leaders.

So why do I start this article on forgiveness with these references to Jesus’ compassion? Even though these stories don’t result in Jesus speaking forgiveness over these people, it shows how critical it is for us to have compassion when it comes to forgiveness.

In these stories — and many other encounters Jesus had — the results most often centered on healing or the casting out of demons. However, in the story of Jairus, I can’t help but conclude that Jesus’ compassion to go with Jairus to see his daughter was motivated by love expressing itself through forgiveness toward all that he represented (and possibly had even led against Jesus). Even though he didn’t speak forgiveness, we see it in Jesus’ actions.

A normal — or human — response would have been to at least express a little satisfaction that now in his desperation, Jairus was coming to Jesus. It can be so easy to savour those moments! But there’s nothing like that at all in Jesus’ response. I love that.

I would also suggest that love expressed through compassion is indispensable when we look at how Jesus tells us to forgive in this month’s line of the Lord’s Prayer. We cannot just muster up compassion.

It comes from a place of love, founded on the truth that Jesus went to the cross for my sins, because of his love for me. I see this love and compassion indelibly imprinted on the two powerful connecting words, “as we”, between these two lines of forgiveness — two little words that can be easy to miss (or dismiss) as we read through or speak it out loud.

Why did Jesus say this? In doing so, he connected these two lines forever. There is an expectation that we will do for others what Jesus has done for us: to

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intentionally love them through forgiveness.

This connection is illustrated by Jesus in another story. In Matthew 18:21-35, Peter asks Jesus about forgiveness, and he responds with the story of the Unforgiving Servant. It’s a familiar story, but it bears reflection because it’s Jesus himself who is telling us that the cost of our sin is so high that it would be impossible for us to pay it back. His emphasis on this cost is so extreme that we tend to not take it seriously. And yet, we know that Jesus chose his words very carefully — this was no exception. In the story, after the forgiven servant has thrown his debtor into jail, Jesus says, “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant…?” Compassion. There it is again. The forgiveness we receive must have a response. If it doesn’t produce love and compassion, then we need to revisit whether we have truly received the mercy and forgiveness offered by Jesus.

I resonate with the words of Paul in Romans 7:24-25: “Oh wretched man that I am, who can deliver me from this body of death? I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” I am lost without him. His grace in my life compels me to forgive others, and to do so out of compassion because of what he has done for me.

When we withhold forgiveness, or hold someone in our debt, we give the enemy of our souls a foothold. That foothold leads to bitterness, which leads to a stronghold — and we soon find ourselves in the same place as that unforgiving servant: a place of torment and separation from God. There have been numerous times when I’ve been in prayer with people (and I’ve been in the same position myself) where it has become apparent that forgiveness is necessary, and I’ve encouraged the person to do so. A typical prayer response is “Lord, help me forgive….” If this has been true for you, I encourage you to consider that he has already helped you. Everything you need for help was taken care of on the cross. I don’t say this glibly or without the acknowledgement that you may have experienced horrific things that have been said and done to you. What I want to encourage you to do, is to have your prayer response be something like this: “Lord, because you have forgiven me, I also choose to forgive this person. Even though in this moment, I don’t feel the compassion and even the desire to do so. But I don’t want to be held captive by unforgiveness, nor do I want to hold anyone else in my debt.”

As we take these first steps of forgiving others, we step intentionally into Love, and Love cannot help but change the way we see people. You may feel very strongly that the other person doesn’t deserve to be forgiven because of what they did to you, and

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possibly to others, and are even now unrepentant.

And yet, this was me… this was us… this was the world… when Jesus died on the cross to set us free.

He cancelled our debt forever.

Dr. Rob Reimer says in his book Soul Care, “If you do what God asks you to do, he will do what you cannot do — he will change your heart.” If there are people in your life you need to forgive, know that this is top priority for God, and he is with you. He won’t do it for you, but he is very much into your freedom, and that of the other, and will give you the strength to take that first step of extending forgiveness. When we choose to forgive, God is amazing in how he redeems what has been stolen.

Over many years of meeting and praying with people who are seeking freedom, or who just feel stuck in their faith journey, unforgiveness is by far what comes up the most as the root cause of their spiritual stagnation. I’ve witnessed many breakthroughs as people have spoken forgiveness through tears because they’ve held onto an offense so long that it has become part of their identity. Or they are waiting for the person to apologize or own what they’ve done, which is not required for us to extend forgiveness. For others, it’s something they’ve known but just needed some help and encouragement to go there.

Whatever the case may be for you, I know God would love for you to take that step towards forgiveness today. If this is the encouragement you need, please follow through on it. If you need someone to come alongside you, that is what friends and spiritual companions are for. Come out from under the shame and condemnation of what was done or said to you by bringing it into the light of God’s presence.

And with his help, extend forgiveness, and receive his freedom.

For the month of September, let us again pray the Lord’s Prayer daily…

CONSIDER:

to the song “Forgiven” by Crowder. Let ˚ Listen the words sink into your soul and pay attention

to what it stirs up in you. If it’s gratitude, speak it out to God. If it’s shame or condemnation, open yourself up to God and let him speak forgiveness to those tender places in your soul. comes to mind as you stop to think ˚ What about those connecting words “as we also forgive…” that Jesus speaks in his prayer? God isn’t offended by your honesty! If this is a challenge for you, talk to God about it. He is your Counsellor and will bring understanding and clarity if you let him.

Take time to settle yourself into a posture of

˚

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Our Father in heaven — As we also forgive our debtors. May I grow in love and compassion for everyone you have put into my life, and those yet to come.

Jesus, as you commanded us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves, I desire to grow in my love for you, and for others… with your help.

Our Father in heaven — As we also forgive our debtors. I receive your love and forgiveness of my sins and I choose to walk in obedience in doing the same for those who have sinned against me. In all honesty Lord, I don’t know if I can do it. But I know that you are with me and that you alone can give me the strength. Only you can help me do what I cannot do on my own. I trust you, Lord. I know that you have my heart.

Our Father in heaven — As we also forgive our debtors. I speak forgiveness over those who have wronged me, who have abused me, spoken harsh words over me, condemned me… (this can be a long list so be as specific as you are able) because of what you have done for me, and in obedience to your command. Even if my heart needs to catch up, I release each person into your love and care, and I speak blessing over them, asking that they too would know your love and forgiveness, receiving it for themselves.

Our Father in heaven — As we also forgive our debtors. I thank you that I am not alone, that you never leave me nor forsake me. I thank you for your patience and longsuffering as I’ve struggled to forgive others. I thank you for being with me in my suffering and for your offer to take my pain upon yourself, which I don’t always do. I’m once again

humbled and amazed at how you contend for my freedom and the freedom of those who have sinned against me. I choose today to walk in the truth of this, and live intentionally to forgive others… as you have forgiven me.

S O N O W W E P R AY : Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

openness and prayer. Ask God to reveal to you anyone in your life that you need to extend forgiveness to. You may know immediately! But give him time to bring names of people to your mind. Don’t be surprised if it’s someone from far in your past, or someone who has died, or who you have no contact with anymore. Don’t dismiss any names. Write them all down, and then go through them one by one with God, asking him for clarity on what you need to forgive. Don’t make assumptions. It can be something you don’t remember, but impacted you at the time and God is revealing it to you for your freedom. If you experience resistance to forgiving someone, take that first step of choosing forgiveness. You may also choose to pray blessing over that person. It’s amazing how this changes our heart and posture towards those who have hurt us.

NORM NICKEL

and his wife Lori lead and serve on Multiply’s Member Care and HR team out of the international office in Abbotsford.

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The PCO group enjoyed observing the circle dances performed by those in the neighbourhood of Behta Darya Church in Mississauga, Ontario.

PCO 2025:

W E L C O M E T O T H E F A M I LY !

From May 6 to 8, about 30 registrants from BC to Ontario participated in the two and a half day Pastors Credentialing Orientation graciously hosted by Behta Darya Church — a mostly Indo-Canadian congregation in Mississauga, Ontario. PCO 2025 was a joint effort between the National Faith & Life Team, MB Seminary, and both the Ontario and Manitoba MB conferences. PCO is one part of the credentialing requirements for MB pastors/leaders across Canada.

Besides worshipping and praying together, participants experienced sessions on MB history, the MB Confession of Faith, and CCMBC’s mission, structure, and agencies. Then in the afternoon, participants spent some time outside learning to play cricket and on the following evening in the heart of Toronto, hearing about mission, praying through neighbourhoods, eating local cuisine, and observing the weekly circle dances performed by Tibetan Buddhists. The final morning highlighted the importance of spiritual and personal care followed by a sobering panel discussion about what can happen if leaders abuse those in their care. The final session included communion, commissioning, and a

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raucous celebration of “graduation” before this group of new friends went back to serve in various capacities in their home congregations.

While PCO has traditionally been primarily about orienting new pastors and leaders, the re-branding of the sub-title to “Welcome to the Family!” meant that there were even more deliberate efforts made to ensure that the registrants felt welcomed, seen, encouraged, and cared for. As participants sat in a circle reflecting on what struck them the most about the time spent at PCO, there was appreciation for many different elements of their time together.

Please pray for these leaders — both young and not so young — as they serve in our churches across Canada. May those from the outside who are now joining our MB family experience a loving welcome as they serve among us! May those who have been nurtured within our family also be supported in their leadership! And finally, may all of us encourage those disciples of Jesus in our local churches whom God has gifted with leadership skill, wisdom, and Christ-like character to consider whether God might be calling them to serve within our church family. Maybe God will lead them to be part of the PCO 2026 group next year.

M B H E R A L D S TA F F

CONFÉRENCE CANADIENNE DES CONFÉRENCE CANADIENNE DES ÉGLISES DES FRÈRES MENNONITES ÉGLISES DES FRÈRES MENNONITES

AGM CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES

National Assembly

2025 • RECAP Delegates approve Member Organization Agreement and Collective Impact Strategy at CCMBC’s 2025 AGM

During CCMBC’s June 19 Annual General Meeting, delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Member Organization Agreement (MOA) and Collective Impact Strategy (CI Strategy). The MOA is a covenant of affiliation between the Member Organizations and CCMBC itself which spells out the mutual obligations that will best facilitate healthy collaboration and mission together.

In the MOA, Member Organizations (i.e. provincial conferences, CCMBC Legacy Fund, Multiply, and MB Seminary) commit to collaboration in upholding the MB Confession of Faith and implementing CCMBC’s shared mission, values, and strategic priorities.

The CI Strategy is a one-page summary of the key elements of the Collaborative Unified Strategy Plan (CUSP) that was agreed to by delegates at the National Assembly in 2021.

“I celebrate these two motions. This is where you see unity happen,” said CCMBC National Director Cam Stuart. “These particular motions are giving parameters for how we are going to relate to each other in a collaborative environment,” said Stuart. “Essentially, they are at the heart of what we are trying to do to collaborate.”

Tim Doerkson, Executive Board Moderator, extended his gratitude for all the leaders involved in developing the MOA and CI Strategy. He said many hours of discussion are represented in these plans and is thankful for this step forward.

Jim Bell, CCMBC Legacy’s Chief Financial Officer, reported that there was a significant financial gift given to the conference at the end of last year.

Due to this donation, thankfully, there was no 2024 deficit as was expected. Although CCMBC delegates passed deficit budget plans three years in a row, because of generous one-time donations, only one of these years ended up with a deficit. Stuart said a task force has been formed to investigate and think strategically about how to change the financial trajectories in the next few years.

Delegates voted in favour of the 2025 budget.

Glen Madden (Member at Large, term 20252029) and Les Riediger (Secretary, term 2025-2027) have been approved to be members of CCMBC’s Executive Board. Delegates voted in favour of Kelby Friesen (term: 2025-2029) for the MB Seminary Board, Norm Poehlke (term: 2025– 2029) for the Multiply Board, and Bruce Guenther (term: 20252029) for the Historical Commission. Delegates also affirmed Gerald Dyck (Manitoba) and Jonathan Giesbrecht (British Columbia) as Provincial Representatives to the CCMBC Executive board.

Those in attendance also heard reports from Cam Stuart (CCMBC National Director), Ken Esau (NFL Director), Jason Krueger (CCMBC Legacy Fund), Mark Wessner (MB Seminary), and Bruce Enns (Multiply).

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Q& R corner

Q&R corner provides responses to questions that readers may have about CCMBC and its work collaborating with provincial MB conferences in areas of spiritual health and theology, leadership development, mission, and organizational health in order to achieve the overall mission: “To cultivate a community and culture of healthy disciple-making churches and ministries, faithfully joining Jesus in his mission.” If you would like to contribute a question, please send it to questions@mbchurches.ca Please note that we will not be using your name in the MB Herald Digest in order to respect those who prefer anonymity. There may not be space to respond to every question—and sometimes we might not really have the ability or authority to respond to some questions (for example, those that relate more directly to one of our provincial MB conferences or to a local church leadership). We apologize in advance if we are unable to publish a response to your specific question.

Preface: One of the most challenging of the eighteen MB Confession of Faith articles is Article 13: Love and Nonresistance. The NFLT has recently given preliminary approval to a DRAFT of the Article 13 Explanatory Notes designed to help explain the article itself and provide biblical foundations when appropriate. The August (Part 1) and October (Part 2) 2025 Q&R Corners are dedicated to providing selected sections of these DRAFT notes which describe what has been called the “Mennonite Brethren Peace Position.” Feedback (encouragements, suggestions, concerns, etc.) can be sent to the NFLT through the following email link: listeningwell@mbchurches.ca

A R T I C L E 1 3 : L O V E A N D N O N R E S I S TA N C E God’s Community of Peace We believe that God in Christ reconciles people to Himself and to one another, making peace through the cross. The church is a fellowship of redeemed people living by love. Our bond with other believers of Jesus transcends all racial, social and national barriers.

Christian Peacemaking Believers seek to be agents of reconciliation in all relationships, to practice love of enemies as taught by Christ, to be peacemakers in all situations. We view violence in its many different forms as contradictory to the new nature of the Christian. We believe that the evil and inhumane nature of violence is contrary to the gospel of love and peace. In times of national conscription or war, we believe we are called to give alternative service where possible. Alleviating suffering, reducing strife, and promoting justice are ways of demonstrating Christ’s love.

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this shared reconciliation to God. This is why disciple-making though embodied witness and verbal declaration will always be front and centre for faithful disciples of Jesus.

Because of God’s undeserved grace, forgiveness, and redemption offered to them, believers are now positioned to extend overwhelming grace and forgiveness to others (Matt 18:21-22; 1 Tim 1:12-17). Disciples of Jesus now have access to a revolutionary reconciliation with other disciples across dividing lines of race, ethnicity, sex, and economic class. Christ has reconciled people to one another through the cross. This reconciliation with others means that there is reconciliation with those in the family of faith (Eph 4:3; Col 3:15; 1 Thess 5:13). Dividing walls of hostility have been broken down (Gal 3:28; Eph 2:14-16) as people together are redeemed in Christ. The church community is to be the model of interpersonal reconciliation for the whole world to see.

This is why interpersonal reconciliation with other people must never be elevated to such a priority that it overshadows spiritual faithfulness to King Jesus. Disciples of Jesus always seek, as much as it depends on them, to be peacemakers in all their interpersonal relationships (Rom 12:18; cf. Heb 12:14; Matt 5:9; Jas 3:18), no longer responding with evil for evil but loving neighbours (Matt 5:38-42; Mark 12:33; Rom 13:10; 1 Cor 4:13; Jas 2:8) and enemies (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27-35); and also forgiving others (Luke 6:37; 17:3-4; 2 Cor 2:7; Col 3:13). However, Jesus did not suggest that this would eliminate interpersonal conflict especially with those who do not share the same salvation in him.

Conflicting spiritual allegiances will inevitably divide people. Jesus stated boldly: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’” (Matt 10:34-36). This sword that Jesus brought was not a physical sword to defend oneself or kill one’s enemies, but a sword of separation that would inevitably divide people who embraced Jesus from those who did not.

Family members, neighbours, and communities would be divided over their allegiance or lack of allegiance to Jesus (cf. John 15:18-19; Jas 4:4; 1 John 3:13). While a disciple of Jesus is always obligated to love hostile family members and neighbours and live at peace with them as much as possible, the believer’s first allegiance is always to Jesus and God’s Kingdom (cf. Matt 6:33)….

A redeemed people living by love must be committed to healthy processes for resolving personal grievances that produce reconciliation as much as possible. This means that vengeance and violence must be rejected as the means to resolve grievances.... This

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Article 13 describes unapologetically what MBs believe is Jesus’s high calling for disciples in the areas of love for enemies, peacemaking, and non-violence. Mennonite Brethren have what is called a “peace position.”

This means that MBs believe that disciples of Jesus need to take very seriously Jesus’s own rejection of vengeance and violence, and his embrace of a love that even included his enemies. Living out a peace position today requires much wisdom, courage, and hope since we live in the midst of a world that embraces vengeance and violence as normal, inevitable, and often good when facing conflict. Popular movies, books, music, and games accept unquestionably that in our world there is a good form of violence done by good people and this good form of violence is necessary and even redemptive when faced with evil individuals and entities. Article 13 counters this cultural narrative by pointing to Jesus who without violence overcame evil, initiated God’s Kingdom, and called his followers to walk in this same path (Matt 5:38-48; John 18:36). …

Peacemaking (Matt 5:9) begins “at home” within own’s local church and between believers who must be the first to demonstrate the ability to live in love and reconciliation. Local and global believers from every tribe and nation are part of our spiritual family who have mutual obligations of love and sacrificial care (John 13:34-35; Rom 12:10; Eph 4:32; 1 Pet 4:8). In order to embody faithful witness to God’s peaceful Kingdom intentions of reconciliation with God, others, creation, and oneself, the church must seek nonviolent peacemaking within its own ranks. While conflict is inevitable within any community, embracing sacrificial love and forgiveness rather than hostility, vengeance, and violence is the foundation for Christlike peacemaking at home.

Peacemaking must spring forth from there into one’s neighbourhood and beyond, as believers pursue robust multi-dimensional reconciliation with neighbours and even enemies (Lev 19:18; Matt 5:43-44; 19:19; Luke 6:35; Rom 12:17-21; 13:10). Embracing peacemaking becomes increasingly challenging as believers encounter people bent on doing evil to themselves, others, and/or creation. While Article 13 cannot explore every possible complex scenario, it describes foundational peacemaking convictions faithful to the words and witness of Jesus. These convictions can guide the behaviour of his disciples as they live out their witness in the church, community, and world….

The gospel of peace begins with and finds its foundation in reconciliation to God. Without this foundation, the other dimensions of biblical peace (viz., others, creation, and self) will be partial at best.

Because God offers reconciliation to himself and to all other believers through the cross—the full beauty of interpersonal reconciliation is not possible without

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means that, as much as possible, lawsuits should be avoided since they are unlikely to produce healthy relational reconciliation (see 1 Cor 6:1-11; Article 10: Discipleship Note 14)….

[The] second section of Article 13 entitled “Christian Peacemaking” moves from the identity of the church as God’s community of peace to the actions of individual believers embracing and embodying their identity as active peacemakers. This section of Article 13 is primarily but not exclusively concerned with peacemaking in interpersonal relationships as believers face conflicts with others both inside and outside the church community. Article 13 does not make demands on governmental organizations who are tasked with maintaining peace and order in their jurisdictions and/or tasked with protecting external threats to the safety and security of their jurisdictions (see also Article 12: Society and State—Note 6). This section heading implies that peacemaking is a key component of Christian discipleship; and that believers are specifically to be engaged in a peacemaking that can rightfully be called “Christian” (as in reflecting the character, method, and mission of Jesus). Much of what is called peacemaking in our world (and even in the church) differs greatly from the character, method, and mission of Jesus.

Article 13 specifically uses the language of “Christian peacemaking” here rather than “Christian pacifism.” In Matthew 5:9 Jesus declares that “blessed are the peacemakers [Gr. eirenopoios], for they will be called children of God.” James promises that “peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (Jas 3:18). The commonly used English word “pacifist” literally means peacemaker (from the Latin pax [peace] and ficus [making]). This is evident in the Latin translation of the Bible (Vulgate) that uses the word “pacifici” to translate peacemakers in Matthew 5:9. The MB Confession of Faith, however, never uses the word pacifist in Article 13 or anywhere else, likely because of the many complex and (often) misguided connotations associated with this word today (e.g., passivist, anti-police, anti-military, etc.).

Christian peacemaking necessarily involves active and intentional efforts toward reconciliation and healing in the four key human relational dimensions that have been broken by human rebellion and sin....

Humans have broken relationships with God, others, creation, and themselves. Some of God’s multi-dimensional peacemaking effort for humanity is already evident in the Old Testament (cf. Exod 20:1-17; Lev 25:35; Deut 20:19-20). However, Jesus came to fulfill all of God’s hopes and dreams recorded in the Old Testament (Matt 5:17-20; 2 Cor 1:20) and reconcile humans to God, others, creation, and themselves. From experiencing peace with God in Jesus, and receiving the Holy Spirit,

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“

Much of what is called peacemaking in our world (and even in the church) differs greatly from the character, method, and mission of Jesus.

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believers now have the power and the pathway to participate and cooperate with God and the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) toward peace with others, creation, and themselves.

The sentence that follows the heading highlights three key components of how Christians can be agents of reconciliation: First, Christian peacemaking involves actively seeking to be “agents of reconciliation in all relationships” (Rom 12:17-21; 14:19; 1 Thes 5:13; Heb 12:14; Jas 3:18). The beginning of these “all” relationships is that of reconciliation with God through Jesus. This means that Christian peacemaking will require a commitment to the disciple-making of new disciples. Faithful evangelism/witness is peacemaking work. While Article 13 leaves detailed descriptions of this dimension of peacemaking to Article 5: Salvation and Article 7: Mission of Church, it should be recognized that disciple-making is the highest level of peacemaking.

This emphasis is reflected in Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 where he argues that believers have been given the “ministry of reconciliation” (v.18) and as “Christ’s ambassadors” he is imploring others to “be reconciled to God” (v.20). Christian peacemaking begins with Christian witness and proclamation that directly invites people to be reconciled to God. Any claim to be involved with Christian peacemaking that is divorced from that witness and proclamation should be cautious about referring to that peacemaking as “Christian.”

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While we celebrate all steps to bring reconciliation between human enemies, between humans and creation, and between humans and their own selves (regardless of the people involved in facilitating this work), Christian peacemaking seeks an even bigger, more foundational, and more long-term transformation of the world.

This work of reconciliation continues into the other dimensions of human relationship (others, creation, and self). Believers are to be agents of reconciliation in all their relationships—family, work, community, church, etc. There are no unreconciled relationships that one can ignore.

Second, believers are to “practice love of enemies as taught by Christ” (Matt 5:43-48; Luke 6:27, 35).

Jesus’s instruction is to pursue actions that seek the ultimate well-being of the enemy and that respect their personhood as a created image-bearer rather than to pursue violence, vengeance, and retaliation. While this is a strongly counter-cultural peacemaking strategy, Christ-like love desires the ultimate good for the enemy and not necessarily what the enemy considers their ultimate good. Practicing love does not invite or permit repetitive or endless physical or emotional harm from one’s enemy. Jesus did not offer himself to die before every violent crowd (e.g., Luke 4:28-30) or stand passively before the Pharisees and teachers of the Law (Matt 23). He even boldly confronted his enemies in the temple courts filling the Gentile prayer area with animals and currency exchange tables (Mark 11:15-17).

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S P I R I T U A L H E A LT H A N D T H EO LO G Y

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Christ-like love desires the ultimate good for the enemy and not necessarily what the enemy considers their ultimate good.

Practicing love does not invite or permit repetitive or endless physical or emotional harm from one’s enemy.

In all of these enemy encounters, Jesus refused to use violence, vengeance, or retaliation as a peacemaking strategy. He practiced an active and wise love that sought change and transformation within the enemy— to their ultimate well-being.

Love of enemies in the way of Jesus does not enable or encourage evil doers to do even more evil than they were presently doing. Believers are not “passivists” who stand by passively as evil people do increasing harm against the vulnerable. Although Article 13 is entitled “Love and Nonresistance,” the word nonresistance does not mean passive non-action. When Jesus said, “do not resist an evildoer” (Matthew 5:39) the Greek word translated here as “resist” (antistenai) “almost always carries the connotation of ‘resist violently’ or ‘to use armed resistance in military encounters’” (Barbara Reid, “Matthew’s Nonviolent Jesus and Violent Parables,” [Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2006], 29). Article 13 does not advocate being passive in all circumstances but affirms that disciples of Jesus reject forms of resistance that involve retaliation, vengeance, or violence (see Note 6).

Turning the other cheek in response to being slapped, giving someone more than the required legal requirement, going two miles rather than just one in response to an enemy, and being extra generous to the one asking for something (Matt 5:38-42) are part of Jesus’s peacemaking teaching to people doing evil to us individually. Scholars are divided whether these words were ways of absorbing and ending the evil, or non-violent ways of turning the tables and ending the bad behaviour. Regardless of whether Jesus’s model produces an end to the evil, we believe that his words challenge our propensity toward retaliatory vengeance and violence.

Third, believers are to be “peacemakers in all situations” (Matt 5:9; Jas 3:18). The implication here is that peacemaking is not exclusive to one’s personal life but is a comprehensive call that covers every aspect of one’s life. There is no room here for two systems of ethics for believers that allow for contradictory methods of peacemaking in one part of life but disallow it in another. Peacemaking requires a consistent integrity in all of life….

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MISSION

Praying into God’s Mysterious Plan

BY DENVER WILSON

serve as the High School and Young Adults Pastor at Eastview Community Church, and in my work, I have the privilege of witnessing God raising up the next generation of the church. I see this in a variety of ways, particularly when students experience the power and beauty of prayer.

I wouldn’t say our youth group has fully arrived at a state of “pray first, pray always,” but this kind of culture is already present and growing in our midst. While youth leaders pray for our students and model prayer in our small groups, it is especially transformative to create space for youth to give voice to their own prayers. One such moment occurred last year as our team of high school students prepared to go on SOAR. SOAR Heartland is a long-standing program of Multiply, providing opportunity over spring break for students to enter into and express God’s heart for the city of Winnipeg.

SOAR continues to have a unique impact on our youth, especially by awakening them to see their own backyard as the context for God’s mission. Our team of 24 students and leaders were preparing to partner with One88 to host a drop-in for vulnerable people. Between registration, fundraising, logistics, and team building, there was a lot to organize. But even in all our busy work, we wanted to pay attention to what God was doing. So, we asked the students, “What is your prayer going into SOAR?” There were all kinds of pre-trip jitters stirring in our students, and it would be understandable to go into a “Martha-like” list of all the things that we should be praying for. This approach to prayer can be well and good, but our intention was to call students to seek the “one thing” (Luke 10:42) that God would lay on their heart.

As we sat in a circle of prayer, we heard students speak these things out: “That we would have unity as a team.”

“That God would show us his love for Winnipeg.”

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Members of Eastview Community Church’s youth group pray over baptism candidates PHOTO PROVIDED BY E A S T V I E W.

MISSION

“That we would have courage to be vulnerable with each other.”

And then came this: “That many students would get baptized because of SOAR.” “That’s a little off the board in terms of what we’re praying for right now,” I thought to myself. But it didn’t take long for me to discover just how much God worked with that prayer.

Over the next year, we saw dozens of our students choose to take a step of obedience to Jesus in baptism, and so many of their testimonies referenced the breakthrough work the Spirit did in their lives through SOAR. While I was focused in on the scope of my own expectations, this student was making connections in the big picture of God’s plans. When the interest in baptism began to pour in after SOAR, I remembered that student’s prayer, and told him jokingly, “Luke, your prayer worked!”

At the time he spoke it, I had dismissed his desire as random or disconnected. But I came to realize that he was clearly hearing and speaking out something from God. I needed the reminder that “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16) and that God has “taught children and infants to tell of [his] strength, silencing [his] enemies and all who oppose [him]” (Psalm 8:2). Young believers have the purity of heart to hear God’s voice — and the humility to simply speak it out.

In Colossians 4:2-3, Paul writes, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ.”

Our Eastview Youth community is growing in devoting ourselves to prayer. As we pray, our postures are shaped by Paul’s words in Colossians 4:

“With an alert mind”

As we pray, we develop attention to what is happening in and around our actual lives.

Prayer is not some lofty escape from the reality of our world but presses into what is really going on. It calls us into careful reflection on God’s presence in the midst of our day-to-day lives. There, we will find the raw materials for continuing honest and deep dialogue with Jesus. So, we teach our students the practice of Examen, to reflect on their day, paying attention to the prompts of the Holy Spirit right in the ordinary happenings of their lives.

What is SOAR? SOAR is a program of Multiply, the mission agency of the Mennonite Brethren of North America. SOAR brings church teams together on mission to engage your local community. For 3-8 days, teams from different churches come together to be equipped and serve alongside local mission partners.

The program has three components: a time to prepare you to engage in a local cross˚ Orientation: cultural context. a time of serving your local mission partners. ˚ Assignment: Debrief: a time to prepare you to serve at home.

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SOAR is for church teams made up of youth teams, families, small groups, or multi-generational teams.

For more information, visit multiply.net/soar.

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“…and a thankful heart”

As we pray, we become aware of God’s goodness and recount his blessings. Sure, our students experience some uncertainty and anxiety toward the future. But there is incredible gratitude, trust, and peace that comes as we give thanks for the things God has already done in our lives.

MISSION

“Pray for us too”

As we pray, our scope broadens to see and join with others who are also called by Jesus.

Our students are finding all kinds of ways to partner together in ministry with others.

We’ve seen this in Eastview’s own mission and ministry teams, but also broader, serving with other ministries like One88, Road 3:16 Ukrainian Slavic Church, and a variety of Bible camps across Manitoba.

“…his mysterious plan concerning Christ”

As we pray, we are invited to release our own plans and prioritize the purpose of God playing out around us. None of us hold and implement those plans on our own. There is always a great deal of mystery. So, we must pay attention to the ever-present and unfolding drama of God calling people to Jesus. As we pray, there is always a re-ordering of our hearts to let go of our priorities, and “seek the kingdom of God above all else” (Matthew 6:33).

A culture of prayer is already stirring and growing in the lives of many young people today. Are we creating space in our churches for students to hear the voice of the Spirit and call out God’s purposes among us? May we be joyfully surprised and celebrate the powerful work God is ready to do through them.

DENVER WILSON

is married to Jannalee, and together they have three children: Esme, Rowan, and Lark. He is passionate about seeing the youth and young adults of Eastview “lead lives worthy of their calling, for they have been called by God” (Ephesians 4:1).

Right: Eastview’s SOAR 2025 group (photo provided by Eastview).

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GOD’S CALL, 13 YEARS IN THE MAKING

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“We arrived in Canada on 26th September, 2017,” says Doug Valerio, pastor at Manotick Community Church in Manotick, Ontario. “We didn’t know where we were going, or where we were going to live, or what even God was calling us to.

We were just obedient to the call, even though we didn’t have the details.”

Thirteen years before, Doug says he heard an audible voice calling him and his family to Canada. He was living in the UK at the time, and he and his wife Becky were getting ready to move to Australia, where she is from originally.

Having no sense from God about when they should move to Canada, Doug and Becky continued in their plans to live in Australia. During the next 10 years, Doug became a pastor and executive pastor there, was involved in various church leadership positions, and even ran a Bible college. Throughout this time, the Holy Spirit kept prompting him with images of the Canadian flag; whenever this happened, he would stop and pray, asking, “Is now the time?” It wasn’t for 10 more years.

One day, Doug was participating in a worship service. While he was in worship, the Lord gave him a picture of a key.

“And so I prayed, ‘Lord, what does it mean?’

And he didn’t tell me anything. And so I said, ‘OK, well, who’s it for?’ And again, I didn’t get anything. But this picture wouldn’t go away.

And so I just kept pressing in, asking, ‘Lord, I know you’re saying something. I know you’re trying to speak’. And then I just had a thought,” says Doug. “I wonder what happens if I reached up and grabbed it? So I did. I reached up and I grabbed it, and as I pulled it down, the power of the Holy Spirit just hit me like somebody punched me in the gut. I just started crying, and I said, ‘God, what is this?’ And he says, ‘I’m giving you the key to Canada.’”

“From that moment on, I had a great sense of urgency to come to Canada. I couldn’t shake it,” says Doug.

For the next three years, the Valerio family worked to sell their home, possessions, and get passports and citizenships in order.

“We literally sold everything, and we arrived in Canada with our suitcases and 30 grand.”

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A church, a house, a life in Canada

The Valerio family — Doug, Becky, and their three children — ended up in Ottawa and became connected with Richard Long from One Way Ministries. Long knew of a church in Manotick who needed a pastor, and asked Doug if he would be willing to preach for them that week. Doug agreed and then was asked to preach again the following week.

After his second week preaching there, the church leaders asked whether Doug would be interested in applying for the job.

“I preached for them in November, and I was employed as their pastor by February,” Doug says.

And God continued to provide. Ray Gerard, a member of Manotick Community Church, realized how difficult it would be for the Valerios to break into Canada’s thorny housing market. He provided a home for them to live in rent-free for five years. After the five years was up, they would have hopefully gained enough capital for a downpayment to purchase the home from Ray at the price that he initially bought it for in 2018. (For the whole story, listen to this episode of ONMB’s Jesus Stories Podcast.)

The reality was, however, after five years, they still were not able to save enough to purchase the home.

Ray did sell them the house at the end of five years, deferring payment for 12 months. In that time, the Valerios hoped to sell the house to new owners and gain enough capital off the sale to pay Ray, as well as have enough for a downpayment for another home.

Ray did sell them the house at the end of five years, deferring payment for 12 months. In that time, the Valerios hoped to sell the house to new owners and gain enough capital off the sale to

Through the incredible generosity of Ray Gerard, as well as CCMBC Legacy’s understanding of their unique situation, the Valerios were able to purchase a home in Manotick, Ontario. .

pay Ray, as well as have enough for a downpayment for another home.

They did have an offer, and when the sale of their original house had gone unconditional, they had found a house they loved and made an unconditional offer on it. “Things [in the housing market] were shifting so quickly, and we had knocked them down in price,” says Valerio.

Everything was looking like it was going ahead. However, two weeks before the final sale, the would-be buyer’s investment property got struck by lightning — and asked to be released from the obligation to purchase.

“A lightning strike. You can’t do much about it,” Valerio says.

Without the sale of their original home, and because of their unusual situation with the deferred payment agreement with Ray, the banks considered the Valerios too much of a risk and would not approve them for a mortgage.

Now they were in a position where their original house had to be sold, and fast — they had three months before they gained possession of their new home.

The Valerios had multiple subsequent offers. Each time, however, the sale fell through in some way. Then suddenly the market stalled, and selling the original house before possession of their new home became improbable.

“We were really getting down to the wire” says Doug.

That’s when Doug contacted Jason Krueger at Legacy, explaining the details of his unique situation. Legacy approved the mortgage, and the Valerios were able to purchase their home through Legacy.

“Without Legacy, we’d have, we’d have been sued for breach of contract for the property that we [had bought without conditions]. I would have been on the hook … [to] start paying at 5

percent interest on the loan [from Ray], and still have no home that we were able to purchase,” Doug says. “It a lifesaver for us, really.”

“Legacy came to the rescue,” says Doug.

God’s continued provision Doug continues his ministry in Manotick Community Church. He says God is doing amazing things through the church and in his family.

“I’ve got so many miracle stories that surround us,” says Doug.

“I listen to myself when I’m telling this story, and I always think, the sort of stuff that God’s done for us is the sort of thing that only happens to other people in books. It doesn’t happen to me! And then it’s like, well hang on, it has!” Doug says.

“I couldn’t have bought a house for myself. I just don’t have that capacity or the ability to do that. But by God’s grace, he always supplied. And continues to. For my kids, for me, for Becky, for the church.”

“You just keep saying yes to God. And God works the details out.”

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

LEANNE JANZEN

lives in Saskatoon, SK and is a member of Faith River Christian Fellowship.

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Finish lines HERBERT JACOB B R AN DT Herb would want to be remembered for his faith in God, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and his love for God, family, and others. His message was to walk humbly with God and recognize the greatness of God in his forgiveness. Herb was born in Greenfarm, Sask., in 1924 to John and Anna Brandt. He was one of 12 children. The dust storms of the Great Depression were the reason the family moved to Willow Lake and Dalmeny, Sask., then Reinland, Man., and to B.C. He did not make a commitment to Christ until the age of 16 because of being nonconformist and a fear of what God would require of him. He attended Mennonite Collegiate Institute. After that he was a conscientious objector and worked in the Brandon Hospital for Mental Diseases and taught in a oneroom schoolhouse. He then attended Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alta. Herb married Anne Kroeker in 1951. They lived in Vancouver, where he received teacher training. He later earned a degree in history and geography. Herb taught in Vancouver for 10 years and ministered in East Vancouver and downtown Vancouver. Their children were Roger (1952), Janet (1955), Frances (1959), and David (1965).

In 1961 he became the pastor of the Killarney Park Mennonite Brethren Church for ten years. In 1968 he earned a degree in Divinity. Herb pastored the

following churches: Killarney Park MB, Richmond Bethel MB, Willow Park, and Fraserview MB. He also held numerous MB leadership positions. Regardless of all of his responsibilities, he took time to be with his family and friends. In his retirement years, Herb enjoyed volunteer work and serving as president of the Fraserview MB Seniors Club, as well as writing, reading, and gardening. He is survived by his children Roger (Sandie), Frances (Benjamin), David (James), and son-in-law Rudy (Eleanor); his grandchildren Alex (Asha), Elizabeth (Wali), Jason (Andrea), Ian (Danielle), and Katarina (Edward); his greatgrandchildren Bentley, Willow, Lou, Leilani, Kai, River, Sky, and Indigo; his siblings Evelyn (Carl) and Gilbert (Mary); his in-laws Ruby and Peter; his in-laws on the Kroeker/Thielman side, and numerous nephews and nieces. Herb is predeceased by his wife Anne; his daughter Janet; his parents John and Anna; and numerous siblings and in-laws. Much was required of him, but with God’s help, Herb remained a faithful servant and served God joyfully all of his life.

Birth: October 15, 1924 Birthplace: Greenfarm, Sask.

Death: February 13, 2025 Parents: John & Anna Brandt Married: Anne Kroeker, 1951 [d.] Family: children Roger (Sandie), Janet [d.] (Rudy (Eleanor)), Frances (Benjamin), David (James); 5 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; 2 siblings (surviving) Church: Killarney Park MB, Vancouver; Richmond (B.C.) Bethel MB (now Church on Five); Willow Park, Kelowna, B.C; Fraserview MB, Richmond B.C

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The lessons of sunflowers

BY PHILIP A. GUNTHER

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you — you of little faith!”

Luke 12:27-28 (NIV2)

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love yellow flowers, all kinds of them: marigolds, lilies, black-eyed Susans, tulips, daffodils, daisies, and buttercups. These beautiful creations of God bring a smile to my face and lift my spirit. Sunflowers are my favourite yellow flowers. In my office, I have a large picture of a field filled with sunflowers, as well as two hand-beaded works of art depicting them. I told my wife that when the Lord calls me home, I want my celebration of life to include a display of sunflowers. I mentioned to her that I’m considering having attendees wear something yellow to the celebration. I will likely have to give that some more thought.

A colleague of mine recently asked me why I loved sunflowers so much, and so I felt it was a good exercise for me to explore that question. Feel free to come along for the ride.

I love sunflowers because of their colour, specifically, their yellow colour. The colour of things is important to us humans; it literally affects our mood.

I discovered that the colour yellow stimulates the release of a natural chemical neurotransmitter our body produces called serotonin, which positively improves our mood. Perhaps that’s why, in Western cultures, the colour yellow symbolizes beauty, happiness, joy, vitality, optimism, and new beginnings.

Having people wear yellow at my funeral is sounding better all the time, especially considering the claim that yellow flowers symbolize new beginnings.

I also love sunflowers because of their rich cultural history and their use in everyday life. Added to that is the historical use of the colour yellow in the arts. As a culture, we love yellow: think of sports cars, smiley face emojis, and sunshine graphics on a multitude of products. And who doesn’t envision Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers? In Matt Wilson’s article, “The cryptic symbolism of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers – and what they really mean”, he concluded that Van Gogh’s painting was about motivating people to stretch beyond the day-to-day affairs of life toward the light and love of the heavens. Some early Catholic artists linked the sunflower to faithfulness, and during the Renaissance, sunflowers gained widespread recognition as symbols of gratitude. For me, Wilson’s interpretation of sunflowers as an encouragement to look beyond ourselves to heaven is deeply meaningful.

Finally, I love sunflowers because of how God created and purposed them. In the early days of a sunflower’s life, it begins the morning facing east, waiting for the rising sun. As the sun glides across the sky, the sunflower will follow it until it sets in the west.

This phenomenon, known as heliotropism, truly helps maximize the sunflower’s intake of sunlight for optimal health and growth. In the mature days of a

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sunflower’s life, it only faces east. This fixed east-facing posture brings God’s creation to its full earthly glory. These behaviours of the sunflower present us with two practical discipleship lessons.

First, like the young sunflower, let’s start the day by maximizing our intake of the Son (Jesus) through spiritual disciplines like prayer and reading God’s Word.

Also, as the fledgling sunflower looks for the sun and follows its movement throughout the day, disciples can look for where the Son is moving in their family, among their neighbours and friends, at school, or at work. The goal is to join him.

Secondly, just as the mature sunflower is physically fixed on facing east, a discipleship lesson for us is to pay greater attention to spiritually facing the “east.” Let me explain. In some Christian faith traditions, Jesus’ second coming is expected to be from the east. They point to scripture for this claim: “For as lightning that comes from the east and is visible in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27 NIV2).

Whether or not Jesus will literally return from the east may be a point of divergence for some; however, the principle for all disciples of paying attention to — looking for — not only the signs of, but the Son’s literal return is a wise one. Living every day in healthy expectation of the Son’s return enhances one’s discipleship on many levels. Like mature sunflowers, it seems prudent for disciples to constantly be “east” facing. Overall, the sunflower reminds us to look to the Son and for the Son; it is also the counsel of the Bible (Hebrews 12:2 GNT): “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.”

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.

It’s what the sunflowers do.”

Helen Keller QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

How do you start your day? Do you welcome Jesus’ presence and open yourself to hearing from him?

When you rise each morning, do you look for the way Jesus is moving in your life? Are you asking him what he wants you to do and be?

Are you living in expectation of Christ’s return?

Does this future event shape your present spiritual formation? Christ’s imminent return warrants a healthy urgency to the mission he has called disciples to. What does this urgency look like in your life?

PHILIP A. GUNTHER

is the Director of Ministry for the Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches.

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A moment in time

S W I F T C U R R E N T, S A S K , 1 95 0

West Bank Bible Camp, located northwest of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, was founded in 1944 under the energetic leadership of Rudolph Wirsche. West Bank continues today in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through a safe, nurturing, and exciting camping experience Courtesy of the Mennonite Archival Information Database

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S U B S C R I B E T O M B H E R A L D D I G E S T W W W. M B H E R A L D . C O M / S U B S C R I B E -V I A - E M A I L